Holiday Village Exhibition

Are you a collector? Do you LOVE the holidays? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this exhibition guest curated by Cindy Stevens and Miki’ala Catalfano is for you!

Every family has its holiday traditions, and décor is often central to the season. It is a way to brighten our lives when the weather outside can be cold and dreary. It is a way to produce memories that we cherish for a lifetime. It is a way to idealize what we feel the season could be or should be. It is also a great excuse to get out the glitz and glitter!

The ceramic holiday villages and train sets, now on exhibition in the Mill Building in Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp, are part of the more extensive collection made by Cindy and Miki’ala’s parents, the late Christine and Gordon Nash. Christine loved Christmas and “bling” and Gordon was a model train aficionado. Together they began collecting Bachmann and Athearn train sets and Department 56 holiday décor. Despite living in Hawai’i for most of their marriage, their large, blended family embraced the “traditional” holiday scenes depicted in their collection.  

The holidays are big business and so are collectibles. Founded in 1976 and valued at $40 a share at its peak in the 1990s, Department 56 produces a wide range of ceramic sets from its “Original Snow Village.” Now up to 225 pieces, these sets feature a traditional Dickens Christmas village, an Alpine Village, a Christmas in the City theme, and more. They also create holiday ornaments and license brands, such as Disney, to create collectibles for a wide range of tastes and ages.

Step into the Mill Building, warm up, dry off, and enjoy the Holiday Village exhibition now through the end of January 2020.